Carton converting machine



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CARTON CONVERTING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1948 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 a NVaNwcGLJ Chowies Z. /Honr-oe mortar. C3.- Flagmond m flu i iwlll fl-r-rommy June 29, 1954 c, z. MONROE ET AL CARTON CONVERTING MACHINE 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed April 15, 1948 June 29, 1954 c. z. MONROE ETAL 2,682,203

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June 29, 1954 c. z. MONROE ETAL 2,632,208

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CARTON CONVERTING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1948 18 Sheets-Sheet 18 Patented June 29, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 20 Claims.

The present invention pertains generally to the manufacture of carton blanks, and more specifically to a machine for converting a contihuous web of material such as paperboard into a series of completely severed and scored blanks.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a carton converting machine adapted to receive paperboard stock in roll form and to unwind the same in a continuous moving web, to print advertising or identifying indicia on the stock, to score the same in order to facilitate folding during erection of the cartons, and final ly to cut and separate the blanks from the web.

Another object is to provide a machine of the above type having rotary scoring and cutting means which can be shifted from the manufacture of blanks in one size to the manufacture of blanks in another size, such shifting taking place within an extremely short time and with a minimum of adjustment.

A further object is to provide a machine of the character set forth and having a novel arrangement for phasing various ones of the rotary members or couples therein with respect to each other and also with respect to other rotary members.

Still another object is to provide a machine of the above type having means for automatically dectecting stock manufacturers splices already in the web and for conveniently resplicing the Web to enable the same to be fed through the machine without injury to the latter. A related object is to provide a carton converting machine of the type set forth having adequate safeguards for the protection of the rotary die members thereof.

Another object is to provide a carton converting machine having novel means for separating scored and cut blanks from a continuously moving web.

Still another object is to provide a machine of the above type having novel and improved means for handling the severed blanks and delivering the same in overlapping relation and in laterally spaced parallel rows.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the following detailed description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation depicting in its entirety an illustrative machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing one type 2 of carton made from blanks fabricated upon the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective stop-motion view showing a major portion of a web of sheet material being processed by the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of a splice detector mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevational View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the axis of the scoring rolls, detailing such rolls and the die members carried thereby.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged developed view of the working surface of the upper scoring roll with the die members mounted thereon.

Fig. 8A is an exploded view detailing the arrangement of the various die blocks carried by the upper scoring roll.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional View through coacting die blocks carried by the scoring rolls, such view being taken in the plane of 9-9 in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary developed View of the surface of the lower scoring roll.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view taken through the axis of the cutting rolls and detailing the arrangement of die blocks on the upper cutting roll.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken through the cutting rolls and in the plane of the line lZ-IZ in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through a portion of the web, one of the cutting dies, and the lower one of the cutting rolls.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary developed view of the working surface of the upper cutting roll with the die blocks mounted thereon.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the scoring and cutting assembly, detailing the main driving connections thereto.

Fig. 16 is a vertical sectional view taken through the assembly of Fig. 15 and in the plane of the line l6|6.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a detector shoe arrangement mounted between the scoring and cutting rolls, the adjustable separating means for such rolls also being indicated.

Fig. 18 is a horizontalsectional view through the separating means indicated in Fig. 17, taken in the plane of the line l8--l8'.

Fig. 19 is a diagrammatic view showing the relationship between the various gears in the scoring and cutting assembly.

Fig. is an elevational view of the splice bed assembly.

Fig. 21 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken transversely through the machine of Fig. l and detailing the scrap stripper rolls together with their associated stripper fingers.

Fig. 22 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the marginal edge portion of the web illustrating the manner in which the ribbon of scrap is separated therefrom by the stripper rolls.

Figs. 23, 24 and are enlarged transverse sectional views taken through the scrap stripper rolls and in the planes of the lines 2323, 24-24, and 25-25, respectively, in Fig. 21.

Fig. 26 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in the plane of the line 2626 of Fig. 23.

Fig. 27 is an enlarged side elevational view detailing the blank separating and stacking mechamsm.

Fig. 28 is a plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 27.

General While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, a preferred embodiment has been illustrated in the drawings and will be described below in considerable detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form shown, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the invention is there exemplified in an illustrative carton converting machine 50 (Figs. 1 and 2) powered by a main driving motor M and arranged to operate upon an elongate web W of paperboard or the like. Adjacent one end of the machine 50 is a relatively massive, bridge-like frame 5| whereon provision is made for rotatably supporting two separate rolls 52, 54 of paperboard stock, one roll being used to supply the machine and the other serving as a stand-by. In order to prevent delivery of stock to the machine 50 at a rate faster than the latter can handle, a condition which might arise upon a decrease in speed, a friction brake 55 is mounted on the frame 5| for cooperation with a drum unitary with each supporting shaft 52A, 54A of the respective supply rolls 52, 54. The brake 55 is manually adustable to produce various degrees of frictional drag on the drum and supporting shaft of the particular supply roll feeding the machine. At the innermost or right hand end of the frame 5| and supported between a pair of upstanding arms 56 unitary with the frame is a splice bed assembly 58 over which the web W is led before processing in the machine 50.

Longitudinally spaced from the right hand end of the frame 5| but rigidly connected thereto as by means of a pair of laterally spaced, parallel bed rails 59 is the main printing roller assembly 60 of a multi-color printing unit 6|. An inking mechanism 62 is mounted on the rails 59 for bodily sliding movement relative to the roller assembly 60. A hand wheel 64 carried by the mechanism. 62 serves as a convenient means for sliding the same, being drivingly connected to a pinion (not shown) which meshes with a rack on one of the bed rails 59. The unit 5|, which is of somewhat conventional construction; is adapted to print advertising material or other indicia upon the web W. In order to dry the ink quickly prior to further processing of the web, the latter is passed under a drier 65 which in the present instance is heated by superheated steam.

Disposed in longitudinally spaced relationship with the printing unit 6| and rigidly connected to the main printing roll assembly 60 by means of a pair of laterally spaced bed rails 66 is a relatively massive roller arrangement which serves as a blank defining means 68. In the illustrative machine 50, such means comprises a pair of heavy, laterally spaced frame panels 69 which rotatably support three longitudinally spaced pairs of rolls or couples 10, 10A, H, HA and 12, 12A arranged to operate in succession upon the web W and in registration with the printing thereon. To insure registration under all operating conditions, these rolls are driven in timed relation with each other and also with the printing unit 6|. The first pair of rolls or couples [0, 10A, is arranged to grip the web between them in a scoring or embossing operation which serves to define the necessary fold lines in each of the blanks. The second pair of rolls l l, HA, grips the scored web and cuts almost all the way through the thickness thereof to define the perimeter of each carton blank. The web W is thereupon fed to the third pair of rolls or couples 12, 12A, which coact to strip the scrap portions from the former, leaving successive blanks still connected along their respective parting lines.

For the purpose of separating the connected blanks in the web W and delivering the same in an orderly manner, a separating and stacking means 14 is operatively disposed adjacent the left hand or output end of the blank defining means 63. The separating and stacking means 14 comprises a frame structure mounted on a pair of bed rails 15 for bodily sliding movement relative to the blank defining means 68, a handwheel 16 being provided for producing such movement.

The weight of the entire machine is borne upon a plurality of adjustable feet 18 disposed at strategic locations under the major frame elements and the variou connecting bed rails 59, G6 and E5. The feet 18 also serve as a convenient expedient for leveling up the frame members upon erection of the machine.

In the present instance and merely by way of example, the machine 58 is set up to produce paperboard blanks for tubular containers '19 like the one illustrated in Fig. 3 and commonly referred to in the art as a gable-topped container. Such containers find wide utility in connection with the packaging of milk, cream and other dairy products.

Referring in particular to Fig. 4, there is shown in stop-motion a major portion of the web W as it is acted upon by the blank defining means 68 and the separating and stacking means 14. Thus the web, which is of sufiicient width to make two carbon blanks side by side, enters the means 68 where it is pressed between the scoring rolls 16, 78A. The latter coact along the axis a/a, embossing the paperboard to define the fold lines for the carbon sides S, the side seam gluing flap G, and the fractional top closure panels T. Further along, the web is engaged upon the transverse axis bb by the cutting rolls i l, T IA, which bite into the paperboard to define the external perimeter of each blank as well as the bottom closure flaps B and the flap P for the pouring opening. At the same time, the rolls H, HA also 

